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February 08, 2014

Ayatollah Tortured, Near Death, in Iran for Criticizing Political Islam

Gatestone Institute - Ayatollah
Boroujerdi's condition has reportedly worsened as of January 28, 2014, when he
suffered severe body tremors and was motionless for hours in his cell. The
authorities still refuse to transfer him to a medical facility and are denying
him the most basic medical care. We ask for intervention to save his life.

Ayatollah
Hossein-Kazamani Boroujerdi, a senior member of the Shiite Muslim clergy, is
presently serving the eighth year of an 11-year sentence handed down to him by
the Islamic Republic's courts for advocating the separation of state and
religion inside Iran. He has also spoken against political Islam and its
leaders. As a result, during his time in prison, he has been exposed to torture
especially reserved for the Islamic Republic's dissident clergy and political
prisoners. Boroujerdi has endured the rape of his spouse in front of other
family members. He has been purposely exposed to toxic chemical agents while
kept in a small solitary cell. As a result, he now suffers permanent
neurological damage, further aggravated by group beatings. Urgent medical
attention has been systematically withheld for his long list of ailments, which
are mostly a direct result of years of torture and malnutrition.On September
29, 2013, for example, Ayatollah Boroujerdi suffered a heart attack in prison
for which he was refused medical intervention. His condition has reportedly
worsened as of January 28, 2014, when he had severe body tremors and was
motionless for hours in his cell, where he presently remains with no medical
care.

Possibly due to
Ayatollah Boroujerdi's prominence, the regime has apparently chosen not to
execute him, but instead to kill him silently in prison. There were two failed
attempts on his life by poisoning inside prison in 2012. His mother, detained
at the same time, was also poisoned and died as a result. Previously, in
November 2011, a prisoner on death row was told by the authorities that if he
succeeded in killing Boroujerdi he would be set free. The attempt failed when
other prisoners intervened.

To protest the
violent crimes of political Islam in the Islamic Republic, Boroujerdi announced
via audio tape from prison that: "I am not inclined anymore to wear this
frock; this frock has no credit or value in Iran or the international
community" and removed his clerical robes.

Ayatollah
Boroujerdi descends from a long line of renowned Shiite clergy; both his father
and grandfather were staunch opponents of religious leaders in politics. As a
result, both of his parents, along with his brother, were killed by the
authorities under mysterious circumstances, as is the regime's custom.

Despite his
critical medical condition in prison, he remains defiant and his spirit remains
unbreakable: he has stated hopes that his case will serve as a strong
indictment of the Islamic Republic's despotic rule and unspeakable human rights
violations.

Ayatollah
Boroujerdi has risked losing his life slowly under torture by writing letters
from inside prison to then-U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and to the
United Nations, speaking of the absolute lack of freedom inside Iran, the
grotesque human rights violations and the imminent danger of political Islam.
Further, he recently urged people of Iran to boycott the so-called elections on
June 14, 2013. As a direct result of this statement his tortures recommenced
despite his extremely fragile medical condition.

Ms. Roya
Araghi, an advocate of Boroujerdi who herself was jailed and tortured for
defending the him, and has since fled Iran, believes that without medical
treatment and international intervention, Ayatollah Boroujerdi will most likely
die soon under torture.

On June 29,
2013, members of Ayatollah Boroujerdi's family went to Evin prison to visit
him, and were shocked to see nature of his physical condition in the seventh
year of his 11-year sentence. He has developed acute heart disease, which has
led to the severe swelling of his feet and knees. He also suffers from ocular,
pulmonary and respiratory disorders, but has been denied medical treatment by
officials until he "repents "and "mends his ways".

On July 8,
2013, Boroujerdi was interrogated for an extended period of time by government
agents for his refusal to concede to the demands of the regime by signing a
letter of "repentance." He was informed that "the pressures and
tortures will increase until he has been destroyed". He has thus far
refused to surrender.

In a rare phone
call to his family that followed this episode, he stated that he "will never
give in to a single threat or intimidation tactic of the regime." His
family stated that he also added, "he does not regret any of his actions
and stands by his word, as he is prepared to die".

After their
visit, the Boroujerdi family announced that the tyrannical regime of the
Islamic Republic's fanatics continue systematically to exterminate political
prisoners and prisoners of conscience through well-planned prolonged torture;
both psychological and physical.

Despite a
statement by then-U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2012 and a plea by
the UN Special Rapporteur on Iran, Dr. Ahmad Shaheed, to release Ayatollah
Boroujerdi, the Iranian regime continues to torture this man of God whose only
crime is advocating separation of religion from politics, democracy and human
rights.

On July 24,
2013, Andrew Bennett, Canada's Ambassador to the Office of Religious Freedom,
condemned the prolonged detention of Grand Ayatollah Boroujerdi by Iranian
authorities, but to no avail.

The regime of
Iran is silently executing Mr. Boroujerdi, without a bullet or a noose -- away
from the eyes of the world. These silent executions are now a common method of
killing political prisoners in Iran as the regime tries to hide its grotesque
human rights violations and its escalating rate of executions of opponents.

The human
rights activists for democracy in Iran would like to bring to the immediate
attention of all international human rights organizations and governments that
Ayatollah Boroujerdi's life is in grave danger due to deliberate withholding of
necessary medical care by the authorities in Iran. We ask for an intervention
on his behalf, to save his life.

Appendix: Partial List of Political Prisoners
in Iran

Source: The
Campaign to Free Political Prisoners (CFPPI)

Name

Age

Prison

City

Sentence

Charges

Ailment

Arrest Date

Mohammad-Reza
Pourshajri

53

Central
Prison

Karaj

4 years

Acting
against national security
Insulting Islam
Insulting the Supreme Leader

Diabetes,
kidney stones, heart attack, enlarged prostate

2010

Dr. Sayed
Madani

Central
Prison

Bandar Abbas

6 years

Acting against
national security
Civil rights activist
Sociology Research

Gallbladder
stones

2011

Dr. Nader
Babai

Evin, ward
350

Tehran

74 lashes and
6 years suspended sentence

Social and
civil activist arrested during the 2009 protests for helping his student Omid
Dana.
war vet for Iran/Iraq war

2 strokes
internal bleeding
seizures

2012

Vahid
Roohbakhsh

Evin, ward
350

Tehran

18 months
suspended sentence

he was
arrested during the 2009 protests on charges of protesting/gathering and
propagating propaganda against the regime

due to severe
beatings during torture he has lost 70% of his hearing and needs a hearing
aid

2010

Dr. Haani
Yazloo

59

Evin, ward
350

Tehran

6 years

propaganda
against the regime
he was previously arrested and sentenced to 1 year in prison and 15 years in
exile

He has had 2
open heart surgeries and suffers from extremely high blood pressure.

2012

Pajman
Abdodlhossein Zade

Evin, ward
350

Tehran

Held for 1
year

Green
movement activist from 2009 and arrested before and this year again

Broken arm
during arrest

2012

Mehdi Khodai

Evin, ward
350

Tehran

7 years

human rights
activist
acting against national security

Injured jaw
and gums (due to beatings)

2012

Zaniar Moradi

Rajai Shahr

Karaj

Death-hanging

enemy of God
alleged killing of the son of an Imam

Broken spine
and unbearable pain as result of routine torture, paralysis

2008

Loghman
Moradi

Rajai Shahr

Karaj

Death-hanging

enemy of God
alleged killing of the son of an Imam

Broken spine
and unbearable pain as result of routine torture

2008

Yashar
Daralshafa

Evin

Tehran

5.5 years

acting
against national security
insulting the President

Problems with
spine and disc

2009

Saeed
MatinPour

38

Evin

Tehran

8 years

acting
against national security
contacting with foreigners

Extreme back
pain and numb legs

1997

Ahmad
Doneshpour

Evin

Tehran

Death

Supporter of
the MEK

Crohn's and
intestinal bleeding

2009

Ayatollah
Hossein Boroujerdi

54

Evin

Tehran

One year in
Tehran and 10 years exile

Accused of
acting against national security, holding lectures and public incitement
against the regime and Islamic Constitution

Due to
torture he is suffering from Parkinson's diseases, heart disease, kidney
failure, pulmonary edema, edema of the legs, diabetes, high blood pressure,
90% loss of vision in the right eye and many other ailments

2006

Rasool
Badaghi

Rajai Shahr

Karaj

In prison 6
years

Teachers
Union board member

Severe
debilitating headaches

2009

Reza Shahabi

Evin ward 350

Tehran

4 years
prison and 5 years ban on union activities, 70 million Tomans fine